List of attempts to escape Oflag IV-C

Below is a list of attempts to escape from Oflag IV-C, the famous prisoner-of-war camp.

Color Key:No color Detected before escapeGreen Successful escapeOrange Escaped but recapturedRed Injured/Killed during escape

1941 escape attempts Date Name Nationality Method Result March 18 Lt. B CazaumayouLt. J Paillie French Tunnel Detected March ??? Flt. Lt. W. GassowskiFlt. Lt. W. Gorecki Polish Cut bar in canteen Detected March ??? Lt. A. BoucheronLt. J. Charvet French Canteen window Detected April 5 Lt. J. JustLt. R. Bednarksi Polish Escaped from train en route to Königswartha Hospital Recaptured Kraków, Poland April 11 Lt. A. Le Ray French He hid in a park during a game of football. Successful Escape April 25 Lt. K. DokurnoLt. P. ZielinskiLt. S. Bartoszewicz Polish Ceiling above canteen Detected May 8 Lt. P. Allan British Escaped inside mattress Recaptured Vienna, Austria May 8 Lt. J. Hyde-Thomson British Escaped inside mattress Detected May 9 Lt. M ChmielLt. M. Surmanowicz Polish Hid in German quarters Detected May 10 Capt. P. ReidFlt. Lt. H. Wardle British Tunnel Detected May 12 Lt. M. ChmielLt. M. Surmanowicz Polish Bedsheet rope Detected May 13 Lt. J. Just Polish Escaped from solitary confinement Recaptured Rhine river May 17 Lt. C. MouraLt. R. Boutellier French Over roof of kitchen house Detected May 20 Lt. J. Just Polish Escaped from Villingen Hospital Recaptured Württemberg May 29 Lt. Col. G. GermanCapt. P. ReidCapt K. LockwoodCapt H. ElliottCapt. R. BarryCapt. R. HoweCapt. J. LadosCapt. C. LewthwaiteFlt. Lt. N. ForbesFlt. Lt. H. WardleLt. P. Storie Pugh Lt. G. Wardle Lt. Z. Mikusinski British / Polish Canteen tunnel Detected May 31 Lt. R. Collin French Hid in rafters of park pavilion Successful Escape May ??? ??? Polish / French ??? Detected June 9 Lt. P. Mairesse Lebrun French Hid in rafters of park pavilion, dressed as civilian Recaptured Grossbothen June 18 Lt. P. Odry French Hid in rafters of park pavilion Recaptured Gross Sermuth June 25 Lt. E. Boulé French Attempted to walk out disguised as a woman. Detected July 1 Lt. P. Mairesse Lebrun French Vaulted over barbed wire fence Successful Escape July 2 ??? Polish Hole in chapel Detected July 16 Lt. J. Stepniak Polish Escaped from hospital Recaptured Kraków, Poland July 18 Lt. Tatistcheff French Through wire from Schützenhaus camp Successful Escape July 20 Capt. H. ElliottCapt. J. Lados British / Polish Escaped through Terrace House Detected July 23 Capt. J. Lados Polish From solitary down west side of castle Recaptured Swiss border July 28 Lt. A. ThibaudLt. R. Perrin French Through an air shaft into Kommandantur, then as workers through gate. Recaptured Leisnig July 31 Flt. Lt. F. FlinnLt. P. Allan Lt. T. Elliott Lt. Cheetham Lt. MiddletonLt. Hyde-ThomsonLt. Barton Lt. ArcqLt. VerkestCadet Officer Karpf British / Polish / Belgian "Toilet Tunnel" Detected July ??? ??? French Tunnel in French quarters Detected November 17 Cadet ensign J. HagemanCadet ensign F. Geerligs Dutch Disguised as members of the league of German girls Detected August 4 Flt. Lt. D. ThomLt. J. Boustead British Walked out dressed as Hitler Youth Detected August 13 Capt. D. Dufour Lt. J. Smit Dutch Hid inside well Recaptured Singen August 14 Capt. W. Lawton British Park walk with orderlies Recaptured Zschirla August 15 Lt. Gerrit Dames Dutch Through hole in park wire, intended as diversion for Hans Larive and Francis Steinmetz escape. Detected August 15 Lt. Hans LariveLt. Francis Steinmetz Dutch Hid inside well Successful Escape August 20 Lt. Kroner Polish Escaped from Königswartha Hospital Successful Escape August 21 Lt. P. Durant French Park walk with orderlies Recaptured Colditz August 23 Capt. Machiel van den Heuvel Capt. N. Hogerland Dutch Cut bars in canteen window Detected August 28 Lt. A. Neave British Walk towards gate disguised as German officer Detected August 29 Lt. R. Mascret French Escaped from Schneckwitz Hospital Recaptured Mainz August ??? Capt. P. Reid British Escaped through window of solitary confinement Detected September 1 Lt. Col. G. GermanSqn. Leader B. PaddonMaj. A. Anderson British Tunnel through kitchen basement Detected September 19 Maj. Cornelis GiebelLt. Oscar Drijber Dutch Hid inside well Successful Escape September 25 Lt. A. Boucheron French Escaped from Zeitz Hospital, recaptured then escaped en route to Düsseldorf prison Successful Escape September 28 Lt. ProutchenkoLt. JurowskiLt. Wbcholzew French Through wire from Schützenhaus Recaptured Schaffhausen October 6 Lt. P. Storie-PughUnknown Dutch officer British / Dutch Over roofs Detected October 7 Lt. H. Desjobert French Attempted to climb park fence Detected October 7 ??? British Tunnel in British wash house Detected October 14 Lt. P. OdryLt. Navelet French Escaped from window at Elsterhorst Hospital Successful Escape October 15 Lt. J. CharvetLt. P. Levy French Escaped from window at Elsterhorst Hospital Recaptured Aachen October 22 Lt. G. Diedler French Escaped from window at Elsterhorst Hospital Recaptured outside hospital October ??? ??? French Tunnel from quarters Detected November 8 Lt. M. LeroyLt. M. LejeuneLt. Verlaye Belgian / French Cut wire of park fence Recaptured outside castle wall November 22 Lt. G. Wardle Lt. Wojchieckowski British / Polish Hidden inside well Detected November 23 Flt. Lt. D. DonaldsonFlt. Lt. D. Thom British Over roof of Kellerhaus Detected November 23 Capt. J. RogersCapt. C. Lewthwaite Lt. G. Wardle Lt. A. Neave British Disguised as Polish orderlies Detected November 25 ??? British Tunnel in British quarters Detected November 25 Lt. M. Girot French Through main gate dressed as orderly Recaptured Frankfurt November 28 Giles Romilly British Dressed as orderly Detected December 12 Lt. Charles Douw van der KrapSub Lt. Frits Kruimink Dutch Park under pile of leaves Detected December 15 Capt. E. SteenhouwerLt. J. baron van Lynden Dutch Dressed as German officers Detected December 17 Lt. J. Durand-HornusLt. J. ProtLt. G. de Frondeville French Escaped into fog on trip to dentist.Prot KIA: 29 January 1944, Mount Belvedere Successful Escape

1942 escape attempts